Harvard Scores Zero On Free Speech

Harvard University has found itself at the very bottom of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) College Free Speech Rankings, earning an astonishingly low score of 0 out of 100, marking the organization’s worst-recorded score to date.

Over the past four years, Harvard consistently ranked below 75% of the surveyed schools in FIRE’s College Free Speech Rankings, despite its official commitment to safeguarding free speech. Regrettably, Harvard’s track record in responding to deplatforming attempts, aimed at penalizing students, student groups, scholars, and speakers for constitutionally protected speech, has been far from commendable.

FIRE went as far as to state that the 0 score for Harvard was somewhat generous, as the Ivy League institution’s actual score plummeted to -10.69, a stark contrast to the second-to-last ranked school, the University of Pennsylvania, which scored 11.13.

The report by FIRE highlighted Harvard’s persistently inadequate responses to deplatforming incidents, shedding light on concerning student attitudes towards free speech, with 30% of respondents expressing a belief that using violence to curtail campus speech is, at the very least, “rarely” unacceptable. The report underscores the pressing need for Harvard to take substantial measures to foster a more conducive environment for free expression.

In an effort to address these concerns, Harvard introduced the Council on Academic Freedom in March, an initiative led by faculty members aimed at promoting free inquiry, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse. Executive Director Flynn Cratty emphasized the university’s dedication to the pursuit of truth and the necessity for students and professors to be able to express a wide spectrum of ideas without fear of social or professional repercussions.

FIRE’s report revealed that only 36 schools received a “green light” rating this year, indicating that their policies do not significantly restrict speech. Michigan Technological University secured the top spot, with Auburn University in Alabama and the University of New Hampshire following closely in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

Harvard was among the 53 institutions receiving a “red light” rating, signifying the presence of at least one policy that substantially limits freedom of speech. Campus Reform reached out to both FIRE and Harvard for comments, with updates to this article pending their responses.